World class athletes arrive in Abu Dhabi to battle it out for division titles

Championship promises to be the biggest and best yet with extended dates from 10th-23rd April and a prize fund of up to AED 3m

As part of the'Year of Giving', the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federationinclude Para Jiu-Jitsu division and CSR workshopsto the schedule as well asfamily zonewhich means there is something for everyone at this world class event

The final countdown is on to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and taking place from 10th to 23rd April at IPIC Arena, Zayed Sports City.

With just one week to go to launch of the world-class event, a slew of international players have arrived in the capital to battle it out on the mats for world titles. Athletes including Jose Junior, Tiago Bravo and Mackenzie Dern known as the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the world will be a highlight of this year's event.

Today Jose Junior and Tiago Bravo appeared in front of local and international media, dignitaries, special guests and sponsors at a press conference alongside the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team, to give a taste of the excitement to come.

Additionally, the local heroes of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team were unveiled today including; Yahya Alhamadi, Mohamed Alqubaisi, Dhahi Althumairi, Zayed Almansoori, Faisal Alkitbi, Taleb Alkirbi and Ibraheem Alhosani. The team who are fresh out of training, expressed their enthusiasm at representing their country on the world stage and their hopes for this year's event.

The Championship promises to be the most dynamic to date as the competition continues to grow 44% year-on-year. The 2017 edition will welcome over 7,000 international and local competitors from over 100 countries across youth, professional, Para-athletes and legends divisions, battling it out for a prize fund of up to AED 3million.

Additionally, brand-new to this year's event is key emphasis on social responsibility as part of the UAE's 'Year of Giving', which will see an introduced Para-Jiu-Jitsu division open to players with physical disabilities and special needs. Additionally, there will be a number of community workshops and lectures each day around topics such as culture, nutrition as well as health and fitness.

For the family, there will be a breadth of activities in the largest ever IPIC Fan Zone, including sponsor activities, interactive stands, plus the annual raffle returns, giving the public a chance to win exciting prizes, including two-brand new cars from Premier Motors that include Jaguar XE and Land Rover Discovery Sport. As part of the Fan Zone, Etihad Airways will also be giving away 10 flight tickets away to Jiu-Jitsu supporters.

Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation H.E. Abdulmunem Al Sayed Mohammed AL Hashmi said at the press conference; "The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation are delighted to welcome athletes from across the globe to the ninth Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship from 10th - 23rd April. This edition is going to be the biggest and best yet, not only for the Federation itself but for players and spectators alike."

"Today we are here to celebrate the ongoing success of the Championship and a look ahead to the future. Our aim is to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come through the teachings of Jiu-Jitsu and the Championship. The Championship is not just for the players and fans of Jiu-Jitsu but is truly an event for the whole family with activities and workshops throughout the event."

The tournament will kick-off with the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Festival on Monday 10th April and with a new extended 6-day program to Saturday 15th April. The festival is an opportunity for members of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and loyalty card-holders under the age of 18, plus white belts and those with disabilities and special needs, to compete in a world professional environment against their peers.

The Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship takes place on 16th & 17th April. This is where the next generation of professional players take their learnings including the fundamental values of Jiu-Jitsu and will compete in the state-of-the-art arena to add points to their 2016-2017 season.

The professional Jiu-Jitsu contest will take place from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd April and will see head-to-head fights with international participants from USA, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Korea, Poland and more, for a gold, silver and bronze medals.

One of the highlights at this year's event is the ultimate clash of Jiu-Jitsu talent in the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Legends competition on Saturday 22nd April. Ten world-renowned contenders including Kenny Florian (USA), Wellington "Megaton" Dias (USA) and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (BRA) will show off their grapple and takedown skills across Bantamweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight divisions.

Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards, to be held on Sunday, April 23rd at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The awards ceremony will be a celebration of tournament winners and will recognise both players and entities for exceptional talent within the following categories for 2016/2017:

Best Black Belt Male Fighter of the Year

Best Black Belt Female Fighter of the Year

Best Brown Belt Fighter of The Year

International Academy of The Year

UAE National Male Fighter

UAE National Female Fighter

Emirate Youth Male Fighter of the Year

Emirate Youth Female Fighter of the Year

UAE National Sport Club of The Year

UAE National School of The Year

Headline sponsor IPIC's Hamad Ali Al Ahbabi, Acting Business Support Director, said: "We are proud of our sponsorship of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship and pleased with IPIC's link to this extraordinary sport, that has been very successful year after year owing to the boundless support of the leadership as well as the concerted efforts of all official and sports entities in Abu Dhabi. We are also keen on taking the necessary support in order to host this championship successfully, and in accordance to the highest standards so as to highlight the bright culture of the capital to our visitors, and to showcase our close link to the community through the support of similar events."

Mr Fouad Darwish, General Manager of Palms Sports, said: "At Palms Sports we are as proud as much as we are honoured to be part of the unprecedented movement that was initiated by our visionary leaders to weave sports in the fabric of the society. Working alongside our key and strategic partners, we strive to deliver the best Jiu-Jitsu training programmes at the highest world standards in the education, public and private sectors. After all, improving the life quality and providing every means of wellbeing and a balanced lifestyle is our shared goal."

Nawal Al Bayari, Head of CSR Council at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, said: "We are proud to support the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship as part of our continuing efforts to promote opportunities for UAE citizens which can enable them to shine and excel in all areas of their lives. Jiu-Jitsu is truly a sport for everyone. It builds tremendous physical and mental capabilities while instilling many positive characteristics including courage, commitment and cooperation. As one of the leading banks in empowering the next generation, we are delighted to be sponsors of this world-class championship and wish all competitors the best of luck."

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial at Etihad Airways, said: "As a proud sponsor of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Etihad Airways will provide its world-renowned Skytrax Certified 5-Star service to international participants from around its extensive route network, giving them the best possible start to the competition. The national airline of the UAE also realises the importance of the event as Abu Dhabi continues to establish itself as a major destination for sports."

Premier Motors, official dealer for Land Rover vehicles in Abu Dhabi have been supporting the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship since 2011. Helal Hanei Omar, Vice-President, Premier Motors, said: "The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships (ADWPJJC) has established the UAE on the global Jiu-Jitsu map as a leading global player in this sport. The success enjoyed by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu team on the international stage is proof of the investments and efforts of the federation in making the game popular across the UAE. The Championships have played a major role in spurring the interest of the UAE youth in Jiu-Jitsu."

The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be an unequivocal celebration of the martial art across the country and outlines the region's enthusiasm for the sport across all levels - from grassroots and community participation, to youth engagement, military use and professional sporting talent. The ninth edition promises to be an action-packed fortnight of competition and fun with something for everyone, from Jiu-Jitsu players, international fans, local followers and the general public alike.

The Championship is open to all and is free to attend across the two weeks. The competition will be broadcast on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels across the region, as well as live-streamed online and the official UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation social media channels. To learn more about the event and keep up-to-date with the program visit https://www.uaejjf.com/.

IPIC is the International Petroleum Investment Company, formed by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1984 to invest in the energy and related sectors across the globe. Today it manages a portfolio of investments in more than 18 leading companies across the hydrocarbon value chain, including exploration and production, shipping and pipelines, downstream retail and marketing, petrochemicals, power and utilities as well as industrial services. The company was created by The late HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, founder and first President of the United Arab Emirates, to advance his vision of using Abu Dhabi's natural petroleum wealth to build a modern, diversified economy for the benefit of future generations.

No Gi started the World Pro off with the Jiu-Jitsu championships coming next week. The No Gi competition, not originally included in the Pro, was recently added and offered competition to the ADCC grappling tournament that had been THE long standing No Gi competition to fight in. Now the World Pro and ADCC trials go side by side sometimes around the world and the competitors need to choose which to attend.

This time with the ADCC finals in September, and in the UK. Compeitors can easily swing going to each if they manage the trials well. The World Pro's first days was set with excitement. Rodolfo Vieira moved to the finals in the Absolute and his division. Rodolfo will not have it easy as he faces Rafael Mendes of ATOS. This match up will be a stregnth vs technique battle as Rodolfo weighing in at about 200lbs has over 55lbs on Mendes at 145lbs.

Each year we've seen the World Pro grow in size, attendance and stregnth. It's good to see an event that really pays competitors, rewards these great fighters of BJJ, Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling get recognition and a little payday for their dedication.

Moving forward the sport is a positive influence on the world overall, let's not forget we don't own JiuJitsu - it belongs to the world.

See below the growth in the number of trials by contry by which the Abu Dhabi World Pro has grown from 6 in 2009 to 18 in 2011. And we hope to see it expand beyond 25 next year.

The World Pro with it's over $1 million in prize money, free travel to Abu Dhabi and competition that is world class has attracted, and rightly so, some excellent black belts from the sport of grappling, jiujitsu and mma.

It's worth a good look and the competition all will be facing and the fights that will be here in the coming days. This is or the No-Gi Championship held on April 8- 9 in Abu Dhabi.

World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2011Registered Fighters

With the San Diego Trials wrapping up this past weekend and the Japan trials on deck, then Brazil and the UK (Bahrain was cancelled) we get closer to the Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship in the U.A.E. this coming April. Don't have your ticket, hop a flight and get yourself overseas to check out the action.

This year the Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship, traditioally a Jiu-Jitsu/gi based event - added a No-Gi division. 390 Gi Competitors and 167 No-gi competitors fighting for the over $80K in cash and prizes at the trials. The entire series of tournaments across the world are billed as over $1 Million in cash and prizes. See Results following.